The biggest LA sales of 2017… thus far

As you might have heard, perennially headline-hogging couple Jay-Z and Beyonce are apparently buying a house. Not just any ol’ house, of course, but a massive $90 million spec-calamity compound in Bel Air. Heck, it’s got 30,000-square-feet of living space — nearly enough for two supersized egos!

By now, it’s all over the town and on every agent tongue.

Well, could it be true? It could! There is no doubt Bey & Jay are among the very wealthiest folks in the entertainment industry. But when it comes to these two and their real estate moves, Yolanda is going to suspend belief until we see a signed grant deed that proves Mr. and Mrs. Carter did, in fact, purchase the property. We’re not hating, we are just saying. This couple has been **allegedly** **trying** **to buy** nearly every mega-priced mansion in town for years now, and they still ain’t forked over the dough. (wink, wink)

No offense, kiddies, but Mrs. B and Mr. Z seem to be the sort of folks who — despite all their amassed riches and fame — still crave constant attention. See what we’re gettin’ at? Yolanda smells an elaborate publicity stunt up in here, y’all.

Oh dear. We digress.

Anyway, before we transition to more serious stories, we thought it might be fun to do a quick run-down of all the biggest sales of 2017. It’s shaping up to be another banner year — we’ve had at least 28 single-family residential properties break the $20 million barrier. And it’s worth noting that four of the five most expensive sales went down out in Malibu (CA), that historically high-priced but sleepy seaside locale. Coincidence or something in the water? You decide.

Oh, and Yolanda did her best to give all the real estate agents involved the credit they deserve.

1. $85,000,000 — Malibu

Though he’s currently dealing with a particularly nasty spat of workplace drama, Dodgers owner (and Chairman of Guggenheim Partners, a $240 billion investment management firm) Mark Walter found time to easily shatter the Malibu record with his slam-down for David Geffen’s longtime compound. Five parcels, multiple structures, a pool, reflecting pond, grassy lawns, a movie theater, and much more. All on a huge amount of Pacific ocean frontage.

Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency had both sides of the deal.

2. $69,900,000 — Malibu

The third-largest sale ever recorded in Malibu, and easily the largest ever for a non-oceanfront property. The 15-acre blufftop spread includes (in addition to multiple accessory structures) a 15,000+ square foot Spanish-style mansion originally built back in the early 1990s by a real estate developer and his wealthy wife. Billionaire Hong Kong heiress Karen Lo and her hubby Eugene Chuangsnagged the estate from Mexican investor/flip maestro Mauricio Oberfeld. The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky had the listing.

In the biggest vacant residential land sale ever recorded in Malibu — and perhaps the largest ever in all of LA, we’re not sure — seaside developer Scott Gillenforked over the cash for a 24-acre parcel upon which he will construct six spec-giga-mansions. Sandro Dazzan of Coldwell Banker had Gillen’s side.

The so-called “homeless billionaire” Nicolas Berggruen hasn’t been homeless in a long while — he has a collection of luxury apartments in WeHo’s Sierra Towers — but it seems he also (apparently!) wants a historic pad with some land. The seller, businessman Gary L. Wilson, was repped by Drew Fenton and Jeff Hyland of Hilton & Hyland plus Aaron Kirman of John Aaroe Group. Linda May of Hilton & Hyland took Mr. Berggruen’s side.

Semi-mysterious developer Woodbridge Luxury Homes — they’re the ones who paid $90 million for the Owlwood estate only to shamelessly try to flip it for $180 million less than a year later — forked over another huge sum for a vacant Bel Air hilltop property. The seller was “Hard Rock Cafe” founder Peter Morton.

An enigmatic buyer shielded by an entity called La Croix LLCpaid an enormous sum for a vacant property in Bel Air once owned by Tom Gores but sold by developer Gala Asher. Ginger Glass of Coldwell Banker repped the seller, who happens to be her hubby.

Yolanda has left Ms. Glass dozens of voicemails inquiring about the identity of the buyer, but our gurl is giving us the cold, cold shoulder for the time being. We’ll find out eventually, though. Not to bounce our own banshee, but Yolanda always gets our man (or woman).

12. $33,900,000 — Bel Air

“To $33 million and beyond!” is Yolanda’s cheesy line of the day. Wait… is that even from Star Wars? Whatever. George Lucasgot himself a historic estate in Bel Air courtesy of billionaire Ross Perot Jr.

13. $30,000,000 — Holmby Hills

Alo Yoga (great store, btw) co-founder Danny Harrisbought himself a big ass Holmby Hills manor from Bebe founder Manny Mashouf. James Harris, David Parnes, and Kelsey Kroon (all of The Agency) had both sides of the deal.

14. $27,000,000 — Holmby Hills

South African-born businessman Max Fowles-Pazdro spent the big bucks for a sprawling teardown in what is often considered to be the swankiest neighborhood in all of LA. Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker was the listing agent; Stephen Resnick of Hilton & Hyland was on the selling side.

15. $26,725,000 — Beverly Park

High-end Indonesian property developer Tommy Silfanus purchased this property through an LLC named after his two adult children. Another Indonesian — embattled dictator’s son Bambang Trihatmodjo — was the seller. Beverly Park specialist Mauricio Umansky of The Agency repped Trihatmodjo.

16. $25,700,000 — Bel Air

A San Marino (CA) resident named Ming Li coughed up some major moolah for a multi-acre Bel Air property that overlooks the local country club. On the land stands a pretty cool mid-century modern pad, but the property was marketed as a teardown. We know nothing else about Mr. Li, unfortunately. David Parnes and James Harris of The Agency were the listing agents.

17. $25,150,000 — Beverly Park

Canadian construction heir Cody Leibel bought bazillionaire Yife Tien’s flip project in Beverly Park. Reba used to live here, too! Mauricio Umansky and Farrah Aldjufrie of the Agency were the listing agents. Drew Fenton and Justin P. Huchel of Hilton & Hyland were the selling agents.

18. $25,000,000 — Beverly Park

Yet another Beverly Park deal — Kimora Lee Simmonsunleashed her phat financial power upon this sprawling, 5+ acre estate in the super-exclusive gated community. Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency repped the sellers, the Harouche family of Beverly Hills.

19. $24,500,000 — Los Feliz

Headline hogger Angelina Jolie stunned even the most jaded real estate watchers when she utterly demolished the Los Feliz real estate record by paying the full asking price for the legendary Cecil B. DeMille estate. Brett Lawyer and Rayni Williams of Hilton & Hyland were on the listing side.

20. $24,151,000 — Malibu

Bratz dolls founder Isaac Larianplunked down over $24 million for a truly repulsive Frank Gehry creation on (not-)Broad Beach. Yolanda prays Mr. Larian has some sense and demolishes this monstrosity. Westside Estate Agency’s Kurt Rappaport was the listing agent; Brant Didden of 4 Malibu Real Estate took the selling side.

Low-profile private equity pasha Matt Barrett and his wife Kathy upgraded from Brentwood to the Riviera with this purchase. Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency was the listing agent. Richard Stearns of Partner’s Trust Brentwood represented the Barretts.

23. $21,000,000 — Manhattan Beach

Sketchers heiress Jennifer Greenberg Messer and/or one or more of her brothers broke the Manhattan Beach record with this large but architecturally uninspiring residence. Victoria Beck of Re/Max was on the listing side, Robert Schumann of Real Estate West was on both ends.

Local businessman Jack Farshi paid a Saudi prince more than $20 million for this just-north-of-Sunset fixer. The prince lost more than $3 million dollars on the deal, bless his heart. Florence Mattar and Mitra Sisatar, both of Coldwell Banker, had the listing and selling sides, respectively.

26. $20,000,000 — Malibu

After selling their Point Dume teardown to Alexandra von Furstenberg for a hefty $16 million, real estate investors Gary & Gilena Simons high-tailed it out to Malibu Road. Sandro Dazzan and Irene Dazzan-Palmer of Coldwell Banker were the listing agents.

27. $20,000,000 — Beverly Hills

Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist Alan Salzman is apparently charting some new territory in Southern California: he bought a fully renovated mini-mansion in perhaps the best part of Beverly Hills from hedge funder Jon Burton.